45576 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No.
153 / Wednesday, August 9, 2006 / Notices
and tunnel inlets/outlets are also
present at these sites. These conditions
represent significant health and
physical safety hazards to the public.
The closure and segregation of these
lands from all forms of land and mineral
entry is also needed to prevent the
location of any new mining claims on
these lands pending completion of
necessary removal and remediation
actions. This closure will remain in
effect until the Folsom Field Manager
determines it is no longer needed. This
closure does not apply to authorized
employees and contractors.
DATES: Effective Date: This closure is
effective immediately and will be
verified upon publication in the Federal
Register. It will remain in effect until
the Manager, Folsom Field Office,
determines it is no longer needed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim
Carroll, Geologist, Bureau of Land
Management, 63 Natoma St., Folsom,
CA 95630, Telephone (916) 985–4474.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
authority for the closure is 43 CFR
2300.0–3 and 8364.1. Any person who
fails to comply with this closure may be
subject to the penalties provided in 43
CFR 8360.0–7 and are subject to arrest
or fine not to exceed $1,000 or by
imprisonment not to exceed 12 months.
This order applies to all forms of entry,
with two exceptions: (1) Any
emergency, law enforcement or other
BLM vehicle while being used for
emergency or administrative purposes,
and (2) any vehicle whose use is
expressly authorized by the BLM Field
Manager to enter public lands at these
sites.
The public lands affected by this
closure order are T. 13 N., R. 10 E., sec.
3, lots 14, 17 and 18 (Pond); T. 16 N.,
R. 9 E., sec. 24, lots 3, 4 and 5, secs. 24
and 25, lot 45 (Poore); T. 15 N., R. 10
E., sec, 9, lots 3–5, 7–9, MS 1483 and
SW1⁄4SE1⁄4, sec. 10, lots 1–4, MS 1482
and 1483, sec. 16, NE1⁄4 (Gold Run); T.
5 N., R. 10 E., sec. 32, E1⁄2SE1⁄4SE1⁄4
(Poison Lake); T. 17 N., R. 9 E., sec. 32,
lots 5, 7–10 (Davis); T. 1 S., R. 16 E., sec.
30, lot 21 (Longfellow); all townships in
the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian,
California.
The public lands affected by the
restriction order constitute
approximately 584.11 acres of land.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
These lands are depicted on maps in the
Folsom Field Office where copies of
these maps may be obtained.
VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:05 Aug 08, 2006 Jkt 208001
January 30, 2006.
D.K. Swickard,
Manager, BLM Folsom Field Office.
This document was received at the Office
of the Federal Register on August 4, 2006.
[FR Doc. E6–12932 Filed 8–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY–030–1310–DB]
Notice of Availability of Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas
Development Project
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
for the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas
Development Project, Rawlins,
Wyoming.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announces the
availability of the Atlantic Rim Natural
Gas Development Project FEIS. The
FEIS analyzes the environmental
consequences of a proposed natural gas
development and production operations
on the 270,080 acres Atlantic Rim
project area. The area is located within
the administrative jurisdiction of the
BLM Rawlins Field Office, and runs in
an arc between Rawlins and Baggs in
Townships 12–20 North, Ranges 89–93
West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Carbon
County, Wyoming.
DATES: The FEIS will be available for
review and comment for 30 calendar
days starting on the date the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register. The BLM can best
use your comments and resource
information submissions within the 30-
day review period provided above.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the FEIS has been
sent to affected Federal, State, and local
government agencies and to interested
parties. The document may be available
electronically on the following Web site:
http://www.wy.blm.gov/rfo/nepa.htm. If
you are interested in viewing material
referenced or posted to the BLM Web
site, please contact the Rawlins Field
Office as to its availability.
Copies of the FEIS will be available
for public inspection at the following
locations:
• Bureau of Land Management,
Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming
82003
PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\09AUN1.SGM
• Bureau of Land Management,
Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third
Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
David Simons, Project Lead, BLM
Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third
Street, Rawlins, WY 82301. Requests for
information may be sent electronically
to: atlantic_rim_eis_wymail@blm.gov.
Please submit electronic comments with
‘‘Attn: Atlantic Rim Project Manager’’ in
the subject line and avoid using special
characters and any form of encryption.
Mr. Simons may also be reached at (307)
328–4328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Anadarko
E & P Company, LP, is the lead
proponent for a proposal to explore for
and develop natural gas resources in the
Atlantic Rim project area. Double Eagle
Petroleum and Mining Company and
Warren Resources, Inc., are also
participating in this proposal.
Collectively, the Operators propose to
drill up to 2,000 wells; 1,800 completed
to coal formations and 200 to other
geologic targets for natural gas. Drilling
would occur within the Atlantic Rim
Project Area over the next 20 years with
Life-of-Project expected to be 30 to 50
years. Well density completed in coal
formations would be up to 8 wells per
640-acre section of land; wells in other
geologic formations would be spaced no
tighter than four wells per section.
Prior to the initiation of this project
approximately 185 oil and gas wells
were drilled or approved for drilling
within the Atlantic Rim project area.
Consistent with an interim drilling plan,
six exploratory plans of development
(pods) of up to 24 wells each were
completed in areas believed to have
potential for commercial quantities of
natural gas. The proposed action was
developed based on the results of
exploratory drilling conducted by the
Operators within the project area.
On June 26, 2001, the BLM published
its Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for
the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas
Development Project in the Federal
Register. Issues and concerns were
identified during scoping and
throughout the NEPA process. The
Atlantic Rim FEIS focuses on impacts to
air quality, biological and physical
resources, transportation, socio-
economics, and cumulative effects. In
compliance with Section 7(c) of the
Endangered Species Act, as amended,
the FEIS includes a biological
assessment for the purpose of
identifying endangered or threatened
species which may be affected by the
Proposed Action.
On December 16, 2005, the BLM
published its Notice of Availability of
09AUN1
 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 153 / Wednesday, August 9, 2006 / Notices
the Draft EIS for this project in the
Federal Register. The 60-day public
comment period ended on February 16,
2006. Over 60,000 comments were
received on the Draft EIS.
The Atlantic Rim FEIS analyzed four
alternatives in detail:
1. The Proposed Action Alternative,
2. Alternative A—The No Action
Alternative, which means the project
as proposed would be rejected by the
BLM;
3. Alternative B—See discussion below;
4. Alternative C—Special protection of
sensitive resources; and,
5. Alternative D—Natural gas
development with disturbance
limitations.
The agency’s preferred alternative is
Alternative D.
Based on comments received to the
Draft EIS, the potential for long delays
in the allowable development and
recovery of oil and gas resources held by
the leaseholders and the requirement
that the BLM allow reasonable access
across Federal lands to private and state
lands, Alternative B was eliminated
from further study in the FEIS.
The Atlantic Rim FEIS includes the
analysis of the impacts of the proposed
development of 2,000 natural gas wells,
Alternative A and the construction of
access roads, pipelines, and other
ancillary facilities such as a gas
processing plant, compressor stations,
and water disposal sites. If selected,
Alternative B, the no action alternative
BLM would reject the proposed action
as submitted. To address concerns
regarding the potential impacts of the
activities as proposed, Alternative C
provides for intense mitigation
measures or limitations limited where
sensitive resource values exist or
overlap with the objective of reducing
impacts. Examples of sensitive
resources include threatened,
endangered, and sensitive wildlife, fish
and plant species; fragile soils; and
unique cultural features. Respondents
commenting on Alternative C indicated
that the mitigation measures intended to
minimize the level of disturbance and
restrictions on number of well pad may
render the project as technically and
economically unfeasible. Alternative D
is similar to Alternative A. The
Operators would be limited in by the
extent of surface disturbance that may
occur at any one time and as quantified
by a pre-determined percentage of the
total project area.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
How To Submit Comments
The BLM welcomes your comments
on the Atlantic Rim FEIS. Comments
may be submitted as follows:
VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:05 Aug 08, 2006 Jkt 208001
1. Comments may be electronically
mailed to
atlantic_rim_eis_wymail@blm.gov.
Please submit electronic comments with
‘‘Attn: Atlantic Rim Project Manager’’ in
the subject line and avoid using special
characters and any form of encryption.
Please do not include any attachments,
as the BLM e-mail security system will
not accept them.
2. Written comments may be mailed
or delivered to the BLM at: Atlantic Rim
FEIS, Project Manager, Bureau of Land
Management Rawlins Field Office, P.O.
Box 2407, Rawlins, WY 82301.
The BLM will only accept comments
on the Atlantic Rim FEIS if they are
submitted using one of the methods
described above. To be given
consideration by BLM, all FEIS
comment submittals must include the
commenter’s name and street address.
Our practice is to make comments,
including the names and mailing
addresses of each respondent, available
for public review at the BLM office
listed above during business hours (7:45
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through
Friday, except for Federal holidays.
Your comments may be disclosed as
part of the EIS process. Individual
respondents may request
confidentiality. If you wish to withhold
any information from public review or
from disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
written comments. Such requests will
be honored to the extent allowed by
law. We will not consider anonymous
comments. All submissions from
organizations or businesses will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
August 3, 2006.
Donald A. Simpson,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. E6–12952 Filed 8–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA–930–5410–00–B216; CACA 48128]
Conveyance of Mineral Interests in
California
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of segregation.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management has received an
application has been filed for the
conveyance of the Federally owned
mineral interest in the tract of land
PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703
45577
described below in this notice.
Publication of this notice temporarily
segregates the mineral interests in the
public lands covered by the application
from appropriation under the mining
and mineral leasing laws while the
application is being processed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathy Gary, Bureau of Land
Management, California State Office,
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,
California 95825, (916) 978–4677.
ADDRESSES: Your comments are invited.
Please submit all comments in writing
to Kathy Gary at the address listed
above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The tract
of land referred to above in this notice
consists of 0.26 acres of land, situated
in Nevada County, and is described as
follows:
Mount Diablo Meridian, California
T. 16 N., R. 8 E., Sec. 13, Lot 13.
Under certain conditions, Section
209(b) of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1719(b)) authorizes the sale and
conveyance of the Federally owned
mineral interests in land when the non-
mineral, or so called ‘‘surface’’ interest
in the land is not Federally owned,
provided either one of the following
conditions exist: (1) There are no known
mineral values in the land; or (2) where
continued Federal ownership of the
mineral interests interferes with or
precludes appropriate non-mineral
development and such development is a
more beneficial use of the land than
mineral development.
In accordance with section 209(b) of
the 1976 Act and 43 CFR part 2720, on
May 25, 2006, an application was filed
for the sale and conveyance of the
Federally owned mineral interest in the
above-described tract of land.
Publication of this notice segregates,
subject to valid existing rights, the
Federally owned mineral interests in the
public lands referenced above in this
notice from appropriation under the
general mining and mineral leasing
laws, while the application is being
processed to determine if either one of
the two specified conditions exists and,
if so, to otherwise comply with the
procedural requirements of 43 CFR part
2720.
The segregative effect shall terminate:
(i) Upon issuance of a patent or other
document of conveyance as to such
mineral interests; (ii) upon final
rejection of the application; or (iii) two
years from the date of filing the
application, whichever occurs first.
(Authority: 43 CFR 2720.1–1(b))
E:\FR\FM\09AUN1.SGM 09AUN1